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LOVE WHAT YOU DO!

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With Valentine's day just a day away here in the USA, and already here in some countries of the world, what better subject matter to cover today than LOVE? I know that the word LOVE has been overused in today's society, so here I am using Meriam Webster's second definition of the word:

2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion - love of the sea.

Yet that definition does not go deeply enough for me. Yes, I have an enthusiasm for, and a devotion to and strong attachment to photography, but my love of photography is more than that. It is better described as a passion, and I think that Meriam Webster's fifth definition (b) describes it better:

b : a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept - a passion for chess - a passion for opera

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Image ©Diane Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.
^{Click on the image to view full screen!}

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My stock image of this shot can be licensed via Getty Images here.

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Camera	Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens	EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Exposure	1/160 sec; f/14; ISO 200
Location	N/A
Post-processing	Adobe Photoshop® CC 2017, Adobe Camera Raw

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One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested. – E. M. Forster

A person can succeed at almost anything for which they have unlimited enthusiasm. – Charles M. Schwab

Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find it’s something you’re tremendously passionate about.”– Steve Pavlina

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In any case, I think you get what I mean! You have to love photographing people, landscapes, animals, nature, or inanimate objects, or even all of them. If not, find something else to occupy your spare time. If you don't love what you do, it will show in your photography. I know that there is a tendency for everyone today to “take pictures” because everyone has a smartphone, and that is OK. It's good to capture moments in time for personal use, or for an image to upload for your Steemit blog. That's great! I encourage you to do that.

But if you are serious about photography as a hobby, or even as a career, love what you do! I have seen so many photographers quit when the going got tough, because they had no passion for what they were doing. Photography was a means to making a living, and that was all.

So, what then is passion when it comes to photography? Every photographer is going to claim that he/she has a passion for photography. That's only natural. But what is the test for true passion? I believe it to be the same as the test for true passion or true love in a human relationship. Do you stand by each other during the hard times as well as during the easy times?

A few years ago it was easy for stock photographers to claim passion in our work when we were earning six figure royalties, but how many of those photographers are still claiming a passion for photography today? Many that I knew back then have quit photography altogether. The passion was just not there. The only passion they had was the passion for making money.

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Anyone can take a picture...a person with a passion sees the picture before it's taken. - Anonymous

Photography is a love affair with life. - Burk Uzzle

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So, what does this mean in terms of shooting images to upload to Steemit? Perhaps you have already figured it out! If you love what you do and have a passion for photography, you will not be affected by negative comments about your work, few Upvotes, and no contest wins!

What matters most is not what others feel about your photography, but about what your photography makes you feel! - Diane Macdonald, 2018

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My list in this series, including links to the subject matter already covered.

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Don't compare yourself with other photographers.
Love what you do.
Experiment with different styles of photography.
Your photographs tell more about you than about the scene.
Don't be an equipment snob.
Focus more at first on good composition than on technical skills.
Think of post-processing as the digital darkroom.
Shoot what is in your own neighborhood.
Flip the camera and take vertical shots.
Even great photographers are remembered for only 1 or two GREAT shots in a lifetime.
Avoid the SVS (Standard Vacation Shots) as much as possible.
Use cloudy and rainy days to your advantage.
Get up early.
Capture city shots just after sundown.
Travel light with camera gear.
Don't be afraid to include people in travel shots.
Photograph architecture with the full sun on the building front.
Experiment with all kinds of software.
Use on-camera flash on sunny days.
Take many photos of one thing that excites you, and edit.
Submit images with strong concepts to stock agencies.